Game board and playing pieces



July 24, 1956 cs. F. WALES 2,755,@53

GAME BOARD AND PLAYING PIECES Filed Oct. 21, 1952 IN V EN TOR.

2,756,053 Patented July 24, 1956 GAME BOARD AND PLAYING PIECES George F.Wales, Kenmore, N. Y.

Application October 21, 1952, Serial No. 315,973

9 Claims. (Cl. 273-131) The present invention relates to games and moreparticularly to a game that may be played by two or more players on arulde gameboard by movement of gamepieces from one space to another ofthe board.

The basic purpose of the present invention is to provide a game thateliminates chance entirely and instead calls Another object of theinvention is to provide a game in which each player uses two sets ofgamepieces'and in which the gamepieces of the two sets have diiferentmoves. A further object of the invention is to provide a game of thecharacter described in which the object is to move both sets ofgamepieces from starting positions at one side of a gameboard to a goalarea at the opposite side of the gameboard and in which the paths oftravel of the gamepieces of one player, from starting point to goal,meet and/or traverse the paths of travel of the gamepieces of theplayers opponents.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a game of thecharacter described in which the gamepieces may be moved on the boardeither from one space to any adjacent space, or by jumping, asopportunity and the judgment of the player dictate.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a game tinged with awestern flavor in that the gamepieces represent cowboys and cattle.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from thedescription, when read in conjunction with the drawing, and from therecital of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a plan view of a gameboard constructed according to oneembodiment of the invention; and

Figs. 2 and 3 are, respectively, perspective views on an enlarged scaleof two garnepieces from, respectively, the two difierent sets ofgamepieces used by a player.

My novel game is played on a board designated gen erally at 20. In theembodiment shown this game board is provided with a playing surfaceconsisting of an open range area 22 and of four combined starting andhome zones 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, respectively.

The open range area is disposed centrally of the gameboard and inoverall shape is a square six circles wide and six circles deep andcomprising a total of thirty-six circles. The circles forming this openrange area are denoted at 26.

Each of the starting zones 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d comprises a total ofeighteen circles 28. Each starting zone is divided into two sections, acowboy section 30, and a cattle section 31. Each such section comprisesnine circles numbered consecutively l to 9 inclusive.

7 Each player is provided with nine gamepieces nnmbered consecutivelyfrom 1 to 9 inclusive, and such as shown at 35 in Fig. 2. Each player isalso provided with a second set of nine gamepieces also numberedconsecutively from 1 to 9 inclusive and such as shown at 37 in Fig. 3.The gamepieces 35 bear difierent indicia from the gamepieces 37. In theembodiment of the invention shown, the gamepieces 35 represent cowboys,and the gamepieces 37 represent cattle. The gamepieces of the difierentplayers are difierently colored to distinguish the pieces of oneplayerfrom the pieces of all the other players. The nine pieces 35 of oneplayer are, however, the same color as the nine pieces 37 of thatplayer. In Figs. 2 and 32. No. l cowboy gamepiece and a No. l cattlegamepiece of the player, who is playing the green pieces, are shown.

In setting up the gameboard, each player places his nine cowboy pieces35 in proper numerical order on the circles numbered 1 to 9 in thecowboy section of his starting zone, matching the number of each cowboygamepiece to the number on the circle 28 of section 30. That is, eachplayer puts his No. 1 cowboy gamepiece on the N0. 1 circle ofhis cowboysection 30, his No. 2 gamepiece 35 on the No. 2 circle of his section30, etc. Likewise each player puts his nine steer gamepieces 37 inproper numerical order on the circles numbered 1 ,to 9

e in the cattle section 31 othis starting zone, his ,No. 1

steer piece 37 going on the No. l circle of his cattle section 31, hisNo. 2 steer piece 37 going on the No. 2 circle of his cattle section 31,etc. 7

The object of the game is for a player to move his gamepieces, bothcowboy pieces 35 and steer pieces 37, from their respective sections inhis starting zone across the range area 22 to the cowboy and cattlesections, respectively, of the directly opposite starting zone of anopponent which thus becomes the first-named players home zone. Thus theplayer starting from zone 24a aims to move his pieces, both cowboys andsteers, to the cowboy and cattle sections, respectively, of the oppositezone 24c, and, vice versa, the player starting from zone 24c aims tomove his pieces to the cowboy and cattle sections of. the opposite zone24a. in similar manner the player starting from zone 24b seeks to gethis. pieces to the proper sections of zone 24d, and, vice versa, the.player starting from zone 24d seeks to get his pieces to their propersections in zone 24b. The player, who first gets all his cowboy andcattle pieces onto their proper circles 28 in the home sections 39 and31 of his home zone, wins. The cowboy pieces 35 must be on the propercircles in the cowboy section 30 of the players home zone; and the steerpieces 37 must be on the proper circles in cattle section 31 of the homezone; and each piece must be on its own proper circle, that is, the No.1 cowboy piece 35 must be on the No. 1 circle in the cowboy home section30, etc. Since the cowboy and cattle sections 30 and 31 in the home zoneof each player are, respectively, diagonally disposed with reference tothe cowboy and cattle sections 30 and 31 of the players starting zone,as will be clear from Fig. 1, the gamepieces, both cowboy and cattle,must move diagonally across the range area in order to reach the homezone.

The game pieces can be moved across range area 22 and sections 30 and 31horizontally, vertically, or diagonally either forward or backward alonglines 40, 41, 42 and 43, respectively. A gamepiece may be moved from onecircle to the adjacent circle, or it may be jumped over one or moregamepieces. There is a difference, however, in the kind of jump whichthe cowboy pieces 35 can make from those that can be made by the steerpieces 37. In jumping, the steers 37 may only vault over a gamepiece,whether their own or an opponents, if there is an unoccupied space nextadjacent to and beyond the gamepiece,

or an opponents, providing there is a vacant space beyond eachgarnepiecejumped. Thecowboy'picces 35in addition to being able tojump inthe sameway as the steers,

may also jump over any number ofan opponents'pieces or combination ofseveral opponents pieces in a straight line without there being spacesbetween said pieces, pro-' vidin g there is in the line no gamepiece ofthe same color as the jiimping garnepiece. All pieces jumped byeither asteer or a cowboy gamepiece are left on the board; they ltay d t efr tThe players take turns moving, each beingentitled to move a gamepiece ona play, either from one circle to an" adjacent' circle, or as far as hecan jump thegamepiece under the rule peculiar to that gamepiece, whethercowboy to steer; I p a As alreadystated, the player who first gets allhis pieces on their proper spots in the proper sections of his home7615s wins the game. He scores the sum of the numbers of the pieces ofhis opponents which are not on their proper home zone spots.

If the ageof the participants is such that the registration of the,identifying number indiciaon the several game pieces with thecorrespondingly numbered home spaces is a, difficult undertak ng, asimple version of the game can be playedb'y disregarding the numberindicia and merely moving any cowboy or steer gamepiece to any availablespace in its proper section of its home zone. This, of course, is afaster game which is more easily played by those to whom the necessityfor getting numbered game pieces incorrespondingly numbered locationswould prove tedious or difiicult. It should be obvious that this can befacilitated if the identifying numbers are left off the game pieces andoff the spaces in the home zones. All that is required, then, so far asthe gameboard is concerned, is tha t the cowboy and cattle sections ofthe starting (home) zones have separate identifying designations.

The game may be played by two or four players.

Obviously the gamepieces may be used to represent other entities thancowboys and steers, and the gameboard an area other than a range; andvarious games may be based upon the principles of the present invention.While the invention has been described in connection with a specificembodiment thereof, then, it-will be understood that it is capable offurther moditication, and this application is intended to cover anyvariations, uses or adaptations of the invention following, in general,the principles of the invention and including such departures from thepresent disclosure as come within Known or customary practice in the artto which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essentialfeatures he'reinbefore set forth and as fall within the scope of theinvention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

I 1, A game apparatus comprising a gameboard having a central arearepresenting a range area, and a plurality of said arc'as, said rangearea being generally square in shape and said side areas being disposedalong the sides of said range area, both said side and said range areashaving a plurality of spaces, and a plurality of sets of gamepiecesrepresenting, respectively, cowboys and cattle, there being as many setsof each as there are side areas, each player having a set of each, saidgamepieces being movable on the spaces of the range and side areas bothforward and backward horizontally, vertically, and diagonally, thecowboypieces and the cattle pieces being movable from one space of thegameboard to an empty adjacent space, the cattle pieces being able tovault over another single gamepiece providing there is an empty spacebeyond that gamepiece, and the cowboy pieces being able to vault likethe cattle pieces and being also able to vault over a plurality ofadjoining pieces providing all of said adjoining pieces are an opponentsgamepieces and there is a vacant space beyond said adjoining gamepieces;each of the side areas of the gameboard being divided into two sections,one section of each side area being for cattle pieces and having thesame number of spaces as there are cattle pieces in a set, and the othersection of each side area being for cowboy pieces and having the samenumber of spaces as there are cowboy pieces in a set, and the section atone side of the range area which is adapted to receive cattle piecesbeing disposed opposite the section at the opposite side of the rangearea which is adapted to receive cowboy pieces, whereby both the cattlepieces and the cowboy pieces must be moved diagonally across the rangearea to move from-their respective sections in one side area to theirrespective sections in the opposite side area.

2. A game apparatus comprising a game board having a square central areadivided into a plurality of spaces, and two rectangular side areasdisposed, respectively, at opposite sides of said central area, eachside area being divided into two sections, each of which contains aplurality of spaces, the two sections of each side area having differentidentifying indicia, and the identifying indicia of the two sections ofone side area being, respectively, the same as the identifying indiciaof the two sections of the other side area but the sections of the twoside areas that are opposite one another bearing different identifyingindicia, and a plurality of sets of gamepieces, each player having twosets, the different sets of gamepieces of each player bearingidentifying indicia corresponding, respectively, to the identifyingindicia of the two sections of a side areaof the gameboard, but all thegamepieces of a player bearing also characterizing indicia, thecharacterizing indicia of the gamepieces of one player differing fromthe characterizing indicia of the gamepieces of the other players, andthe number of gamepieces in a set being equal to the number of spaces ina section of a side area of the gameboard, whereby the two sets ofgamepieces of each pair are adapted to be moved, respectively, from onesection of one side area of the gameboard to the diagonally oppositesection at the opposite side of the gameboard.

3. A game apparatus comprising a gameboard having an equilateral centralarea divided into spaces on which gamepieces may be moved, a side areadisposed along each lateral side of said central area and adjoining saidcentral area, each side area being divided into a plurality of sections,each section having a plurality of spaces on which gamepieces may bemoved, and a plurality of sets of gamepieces, each player having as manysets of garnepiecesas there are sections in a side area, the difierentsets of gamepieces of each player bearing, respectively, differentdistinguishing indicia, but all the gamepieces of each player bearingalso the same characterizing indicia, the characterizing indicia of oneplayer differing from the characterizing indicia of the gamepieces ofthe other players, the different sections of a side area being adaptedto receive, respectively, different sets of gamepieces of a player andthe number of gamepieces in each different set of a player equaling,respectively, the number of spaces in the particular section of a sidearea which is adapted to receive that particular set of gamepieces, andthe sections of different side areas being disposed in reverse orderwhereby the gamepieces of a player have to be moved in crosswise fashionacross the central area in order to be moved from their respectivesections of a side area, which constitutes a starting area for thegamepieces of the player, to their respective sections on another sidearea which constitutes the home area of that player.

4. A game apparatus comprising a gameboard having an equilateral centralarea divided into spaces on which gamepieces may be moved, a side areadisposed. along each lateral side of said central area and adjoiningsaid central area, each side area being divided into a plurality ofsections, each section having a plurality, of spaces on which gamepiecesmay be moved, the number of spaces in each section of each side areabeing equal to the number of spaces in every other section of that sidearea and of every other side area, and a plurality of sets ofgamepieces, each player having as many sets of gamepieces as there aresections in a side area, the different sets of gamepieces of each playerbearing, respectively, different distinguishing indicia, but all thegamepieces of each player bearing also the same characterizing indicia,the characterizing indicia of one player difiering from thecharacterizing indicia of the gamepieces of the other players, thedifferent sections of a side area being adapted to receive,respectively, difierent sets of gamepieces of a player and the number ofgamepieces in each different set of a player equaling, respectively, thenumber of spaces in a section of a side area, and the sections ofdifierent side areas being disposed in reverse order whereby thegamepieces of a player have to be moved in crosswise fashion across thecentral area in order to be moved from their respective sections of aside area, which constitutes a starting area for the gamepieces of theplayer, to their respective sections of another side area Whichconstitutes the home area of that player.

5. A game apparatus comprising a gameboard having a square central areadivided into spaces on which gamepieces may be moved, and two side areasdisposed, respectively, at opposite sides of and adjoining said centralarea, each of the two side areas being divided into two sections, eachsection having a plurality of spaces adapted to receive gamepieces andon which gamepieces may be moved, and a plurality of sets of gamepieces,there being twice as many sets of gamepieces as there are side areas,each player having two sets of gamepieces, the two sets of gamepiecesfor each player bearing, respectively, different distinguishing indicia,but all of the gamepieces of each player bearing also the samecharacterizing indicia, the characterizing indicia of the gamepieces ofone player differing from the characterizing indicia of the gamepiecesof the other player, the number of gamepieces in the two sets of aplayer equaling, respectively, the number of spaces in the two sectionsin one side area of the gameboard, and the section in one side area ofthe gameboard which is adapted to receive one set of gamepieces of aplayer at the start of a game being opposite that section of the otherside area which is adapted to receive the other set of gamepieces of theplayer at the end of the game whereby the two sets of gamepieces of aplayer have to move diagonally across the central area of the gameboardto move from their starting sections to their home sections.

6. A game apparatus comprising a gameboard having a square central areadivided into spaces on which gamepieces may be moved, and two side areasdisposed, respectively, at opposite sides of and adjoining said centralarea, each of the two side areas being divided into two sections, eachsection having a plurality of spaces adapted to receive gamepieces andon which gamepieces may be moved, all sections having the same number ofspaces, and a plurality of sets of gamepieces, there being twice as manysets of gamepieces as there are side areas, each player having two setsof gamepieces, the two sets of gamepieces for each player bearing,respectively, diiferent distinguishing indicia, but all of thegamepieces of each player bearing also the same characterizing indicia,the characterizing indicia of the gamepieces of one player differingfrom the characterizing indicia of the gamepieces of the other player,the number of gamepieces in each set of a player equaling the number ofspaces in each section of a side area, and the section in one side areaof the gameboard which is adapted to receive one set of gamepieces of aplayer at the start of a game being opposite that section of the otherside area which is adapted to receive the other set of gamepieces of theplayer at the end of the game whereby the two sets of gamepiecs of aplayer have to move diagonally across the central area of the gameboardto move from their starting sections to their home sections.

7. A game apparatus comprising a gameboard having a square central areadivided into spaces on which gamepieces may be rnoved,and tworectangular side areas disposed, respectively, at opposite sides of andadjoining said central area, each of the side areas being divided intotwo sections, each section having a plurality of spaces that areconsecutively numbered and that are adapted to receive gamepieces and onwhich gamepieces may be moved, all sections having the same number ofspaces, and a plurality of sets of gamepieces, there being twice as manysets of gamepieces as there are side areas, each player having two setsof gamepieces, the number of gamepieces in each set being equal andbeing equal to the number of spaces in a section of the gameboard, andthe gamepieces of each set being consecutively numbered incorrespondence to the numbering of the spaces of each section of thegameboard, the two sets of game-' pieces for each player bearing,respectively, difierent distinguishing indicia, but all of thegamepieces of each player bearing also the same characterizing indicia,the characterizing indicia of the gamepieces of one player differingfrom the characterizing indicia of the gamepieces of the other player,the diiferent sections of each side area having, respectively, differentindicia corresponding, respectively, to the different indicia of the twosets of gamepieces of a player, and the section of one side area of thegameboard which is adapted to receive one set of gamepieces of a playerat the start of a game being opposite that section of the other sidearea which is adapted to receive the other set of gamepieces of theplayer at the end of the game, whereby the two sets of gamepieces of aplayer have to move diagonally across the central area of the gameboardto move from their starting sections to their home sections.

8. A game apparatus comprising a gameboard having a square central areadivided into spaces on which gamepieces may be moved, and tworectangular side areas disposed, respectively, at opposite sides of andadjoining said central area, each of the side areas being divided intotwo sections, each section having a plurality of spaces that areconsecutively numbered and that are adapted to receive gamepieces and onwhich gamepieces may be moved, all sections having the same number ofspaces, and a plurality of sets of gamepieces, there being twice as manysets of gamepieces as there are side areas, each player having two setsof gamepieces, the number of gamepieces in each set being equal andbeing equal to the number of spaces in a section of the gameboard, andthe gamepieces of each set being consecutively numbered incorrespondence to the numbering of the spaces of each section of thegameboard, the two sets of gamepieces for each player bearing,respectively, different distinguishing indicia, but all of thegamepieces of each player bearing also the same characterizing indicia,the characterizing indicia of the gamepieces of one player dilferingfrom the characterizing indicia of the gamepieces of the other player,the different sections of each side area having, respectively, differentindicia corresponding, respectively, to the difierent indicia of the twosets of gamepieces of a player, and the section of one side area of thegameboard which is adapted to receive one set of gamepieces of a playerat the start of a game being opposite that section of the other sidearea which is adapted to receive the other set of gamepieces of theplayer at the end of the game, whereby the two sets of gamepieces of aplayer have to move diagonally across the central area of the gameboardto move from their starting sections to their home sections, and thetotal number of spaces in the two side areas equaling the number ofspaces in the central area.

9. A game apparatus comprising a gameboard having a square central areadivided into spaces on which gamepieces may be moved, and tworectangular side areas disposed respectively, at'epiiosite sides ota'ttdadjoining said central area, each of the side areas being di vided itifb two sections each; section having a plurality of spaces that areconsectttiv'ely numbered and that" are adapted to reoeive' garnepiecesand on Whichgamepi'eces may be moved,- all sectionshaving thesame numbero'fispaces, and a pl'uraiity of sets of gamep'ie'ces; there being twiceas ritany sets of gamepieces as there are side areas, each player havingtwo sets of gamepieces; the number ofi gamepiecesin' each set beingequal and beingequal to the mother of spaces in a section of thegameboard, and the gamepieces of each setl being consecutively numberedin correspondence to the numbering of the spaces: of each section of=the gameboard, the two" sets ofi gamepieces for each: player bearing,respectively, different distingiiishingindicia, but all of thegamepiecesof each player bearing also the same characterizing indicia, thecharaeterizing indicia of the gamepieces of one player difiering; fromthe characterizingindicia of the gamepieces of the other player, thedifferent sections of each side area having; respectively, differentindici'a corresponding, respectively, to the difierent indicia of thetwo sets of gamepieces of a player, and the section of one side areaofthe gameboard' which is adapted toreceive one set of game pieces of aplayer at the start of a game being opposite that-section of" the otherside area? which is adapted to receive: the other set: of gam'epieces ofthe player" at: the

ertd of the game, whereby the fwd sets" of gamepieces" of a player havetomovediagonally across the central area of the gameboard to move fromtheir starting sections to References Cited in the file of this patentUNI-TED STATES PATENTS" D; 125,195 Clute Feb. 18, 1941 D. 1142,860 IIagloch Nov. 13, 1945 509,316 Lapham Nov. 21, 1893 534,080 Preston Feb.12, 1895 1,131,603 Dueberg Mar. 9', 1915 1,134,922 Smith Apr. 6, 19151,159,854 Malmsjo Nov. 9, 1915 2,181,808 Parker Jan. 23, 1940 2,610,854Card Sept. 16, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 13,101 Great Britain 1895

